Votes on meta do not affect your reputation; your meta reputation is the same as your reputation on Stack Overflow (synchronized hourly), though you earn separate badges. You must have 5 reputation to participate on meta.

@Bart: read the title? It's on SO. stackoverflow.com/help/whats-meta (I'm pretty sure even the section title "If you have an account on Stack Overflow, you have an account on its meta site." is a blatant lie.)
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WoobleAug 28 '13 at 11:47

On the Stack Overflow help center. There's a link at the bottom "What is "meta"? How does it work?"
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TsSkToAug 28 '13 at 11:48

How does this hidden under the rug? In the about page of all places. If you have an account on Stack Overflow, you have an account on its meta site. in title font.
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KrishnabhadraAug 28 '13 at 11:53

1

The reason is pretty obvious: the help center pages are the same all over the network and that section is correct for all sites except Stack Overflow, having unique Meta site with different rules. I was sure it was reported before but couldn't find the dupe.
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Shadow WizardAug 28 '13 at 11:56

a blatant lie, really or did I miss the sarcasm, @Wooble?
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ArjanAug 28 '13 at 12:34

1 Answer
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Stack Overflow's help page has been updated to include the same text that appears on the Meta Stack Overflow page, which correctly states that accounts on MSO work differently than meta accounts on the rest of the network.